Is It Camping When Your RV Has 2 Stories and 3 Bedrooms?

Some RVs have so many comforts that you’re tempted to call them a home away from home. Many manufacturers are taking that idea to the extreme.

Can you really call it camping if your trailer has two extra bedrooms upstairs and a kitchen that would suit a chef? That’s what you get with the Salem Grand Villa travel trailers.

Let’s dive in!

2023 Forest River Salem Grand Villa: RV Or Tiny House?

At first glance you might mistake the 2023 Forest River Salem Grand Villa for one of those tiny houses that are gaining such popularity. Then you’ll notice the wheels and hitch.

Unlike a tiny house, you don’t have to build this one. Just haul it into place with a big enough truck and leave it there until you decide to move it somewhere else.

Actually, it’s bigger than a lot of those tiny houses. It’s not a mansion by any means, but it’s colossal by travel trailer standards.

Specs of This Huge Travel Trailer

Step inside the Salem Grand Villa, and the first thing you’ll notice is how open and airy it is. It seems huge, too, and this isn’t an illusion. The amazing RV trailer is 42 feet long, 9 feet wide and over 13 feet tall.

It’s furnished like a home, and has an 8-foot ceiling with a fan. The living room is surrounded by large windows to give an almost panoramic view as well as cross ventilation.

With a master bedroom downstairs, a fold-out sofa and two loft bedrooms above, it can comfortably sleep seven people. There are three slide outs that expand the living space, and a powered 20-foot awning outside.

Hitch weight is 1,855 lbs., and dry weight is 13,062 lbs. Capacity for fresh water and black water is 40 gallons, and the grey water capacity is twice that amount. There’s a 20-gallon water heater.

A 35,000 BTU furnace will keep you warm, and a 15,000 BTU air conditioner cools things down. Electrical service is 50 amp.

Pro Tip: You’ll probably need one of these 5 best 3/4 ton trucks to tow it!

This Isn’t Your Typical Traveling Rig… It’s a Park Model

Forest River calls its 2023 Salem Villa a destination trailer, which is essentially another name for park model. These are designed to stay in one place for a longer period of time. It could be an entire camping season, or even longer.

A park model trailer can easily be used as a vacation home on the lake, for instance. And like tiny homes, some people are living year-round in trailers like these.

Because they’re designed for long-term use, they can be heavier than other travel travelers and made from sturdier materials.

Weight isn’t a big consideration because they won’t be towed as frequently. This is why they often have more elaborate features and decorative accents that are unheard of in conventional travel trailers. It’s also why they often require a one-ton truck to move them.

Interior Features of the Forest River Salem Grand Villa

Next to the living room is a large kitchen with an island in the center with solid countertops and a double-sided sink. There’s a three-burner stove as well as an oven and full-size microwave. The kitchen also has a double-door residential style refrigerator/freezer.

Throughout the space there are touches that will remind you of home. These include a floating fireplace and a large mirrored vanity in the bathroom, which also has a fiberglass walk-in shower with a built-in seat.

The main bedroom downstairs has its own door and a wardrobe and dresser. A closet is designed for the optional washer/dryer stack.

Up the stairs are a small child’s bedroom and a larger bedroom with two more beds.

Camping, Glamping, or Full-On Tiny House Living?

While some might shake their heads over such grand features in an RV trailer, they certainly have their fans.

There is definitely a sizable market for fancy digs like the Forest River Salem Grand Villa, even though one of the hot trends right now is toward smaller RVs.

Whether you want to call it camping, or glamping, or something else entirely, these big and luxurious trailers have found their place in the RV world.

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